Windsor and Eton Riverside railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Windsor and Eton Riverside
code = WNR


caption = The Datchet Road frontage of the station. The concourse can be glimpsed through the first of the row of arches in the south-east wall of the station.
manager = South West Trains
locale = Windsor
borough = Windsor and Maidenhead
usage0405 = 0.964
usage0506 = 1.045
usage0607 = 1.114
platforms = 2
start = December 1849

Windsor and Eton Riverside station is one of two terminal stations serving the town of Windsor in Berkshire, England. The station is a grade II listed building, and is situated at the junction of Datchet Road and the 'Farm Yard', close to the banks of the River Thames, and overlooked by Windsor Castle.cite web | url = http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=40432 | title = Images of England - Windsor Riverside Station and Royal Waiting Room | publisher = English Heritage | accessdate = July 15 | accessyear = 2007 ]

Riverside station is served by through trains from London Waterloo operated by South West Trains via its Windsor Branch, and is 41 km (25¾ miles) west of London Waterloo. It should not be mistaken for the nearby Windsor and Eton Central station, which is served by First Great Western shuttle trains from that company's main line at Slough station.

Description

The station building was designed by William Tite as a royal station. The frontage has stone facings, with a mullioned and transomed main window, gables and a multi-arch entrance. The main booking hall is decorative, but has now been converted into a wine bar. There is a spacious concourse under the train shed at the head of the platforms. The two side platform flank the terminal lines, and extend a considerable distance beyond the train shed.cite web | url = http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=40432 | title = Images of England - Windsor Riverside Station and Royal Waiting Room | publisher = English Heritage | accessdate = July 15 | accessyear = 2007 ]

The wall on south east (Datchet Road) side of the station forms a long curve, parallel with the platform, containing a series of arches with depressed heads. This wall links the station proper with the former Royal Waiting Room built for Queen Victoria. This is a small building of main room and ante rooms crowned by a turret with spirelet. This has Tudor arched windows, and the interior of the main room has a ribbed ceiling with a pendant finial.cite web | url = http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?id=40432 | title = Images of England - Windsor Riverside Station and Royal Waiting Room | publisher = English Heritage | accessdate = July 15 | accessyear = 2007 ]

History

The original route from Staines was authorised in 1847 to the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway; it was opened as far as Datchet, on the opposite side of Home Park from the town of Windsor, on 22 August 1848. Opposition from both Windsor Castle and Eton College delayed the completion of the line (there was similar opposition to the Great Western Railway line to Windsor Central), but eventually the Riverside station was opened on 1 December 1849.cite web | url = http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/windsorhistory/railways/railway.html | title = The Railways at Windsor | publisher = The Royal Windsor Web Site | accessdate = July 15 | accessyear = 2007 ]

In 1848, before Riverside station opened, the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway had been incorporated into the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which continued to run services into the station until 1923. In that year, as part of the railway grouping ordered by the Railways Act 1921, the LSWR became part of the Southern Railway. In 1930 the line to Riverside station was electrified, using the third rail system at a nominal 660 volts DC. In 1948 the railways were nationalised, and the station became part of the Southern Region of British Rail.cite web | url = http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/windsorhistory/railways/railway.html | title = The Railways at Windsor | publisher = The Royal Windsor Web Site | accessdate = July 15 | accessyear = 2007 ]

In 1974, the level crossing in the throat of the station that provided access to Romney Lock was closed and replaced by a footbridge. Vehicular access to the lock was maintained by a road constructed on the north side of the station through the former goods yard, which itself became the station car park.cite web | url = http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/windsorhistory/railways/railway.html | title = The Railways at Windsor | publisher = The Royal Windsor Web Site | accessdate = July 15 | accessyear = 2007 ]

As part of the privatisation of British Rail, the Stagecoach Group company South West Trains took over operation of the service and the station in 1996. Ownership of the line and station passed to Railtrack and subsequently to Network Rail.

ervices

There is usually a half-hourly service to London Waterloo seven days a week, taking just over an hour to reach Waterloo. The service is currently provided by South West Trains using Class 450 Desiro units, and was previously operated by Class 455 units, prior to their refurbishment.cite web | url = http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/SWTrains/pdfs/TimetablesMay2007 | title = Train times - Windsor and Feltham to London Waterloo | publisher = South West Trains | accessdate = June 18 | accessyear = 2007]

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References

Bibliography

*

External links

* [http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/windsorhistory/railways/railway.html Windsor History – includes photographs of station]
*IoE|40432